GARDENS OF THE GENERALIFE 257 



singing to its grateful returns ; standing at one of 

 the focuses, which is under a tree, or little cabinet 

 of hedges, the voice seems to descend from clouds ; 

 at another, as if it was underground. This being at 

 the bottom of the garden, we were let into another, 

 which being kept with all imaginable accurateness 

 as to the orangery, precious shrubs, and rare fruits, 

 seemed a Paradise. 



JOHN EVELYN. 



THE GARDENS OF THE GENERALIFE 



(From " The Alhambra") 



HIGH above the Alhambra, on the breast of the 

 mountain, amidst embowered gardens and stately 

 terraces, rise the lofty towers and white walls of the 

 Generalise ; a fairy palace, full of storied recollec- 

 tions. Here are still to be seen the famous cypresses 

 of enormous size which flourished in the time of the 

 Moors, and which tradition has connected with the 

 fabulous story of Boabdil and his sultana. . . . 



Here is everything to delight a southern volup- 

 tuary : fruits, flowers, fragrance, green arbours and 

 myrtle hedges, delicate air and gushing waters. 

 Here I had an opportunity of witnessing those 

 scenes which painters are fond of depicting about 

 southern palaces and gardens. It was the saint's 

 day of the count's daughter, and she had brought up 

 several of her youthful companions from Granada, 

 to sport away a long summer's day among the 

 breezy halls and bowers of the Moorish palaces. 

 A visit to the Generalife was the morning's enter- 







